Business group wants Marcos to fast-track reforms via one big law

The country’s oldest business chamber has urged President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. to consider pushing for a comprehensive, consolidated reform bill to accelerate the administration’s economic and governance agenda.

In an interview on July 11, Chamber of Commerce of the Philippine Islands (CCPI) President Jose Luis Yulo Jr. proposed that the administration take inspiration from the One Big Beautiful Bill recently signed into law by former U.S. President Donald Trump.

Yulo said the idea stems from a growing need to “fast-track” reforms, noting that while the administration has made progress on its legislative priorities, implementation has been slow.

“We would like it to be faster… One law covering everything, that’s what we would like,” Yulo said, adding that the CCPI is prepared to engage with lawmakers aligned with the administration to help draft and advocate for such legislation.

Trump’s law—which consolidates tax reforms, defense spending, immigration policy, and regulatory changes—has been described as “once-in-a-generation” by the White House but has drawn controversy for budgetary and equity concerns. Yulo emphasized that a Philippine version would need to be rooted in national development goals.

The business group proposed aligning the measure with its Economic Compass Pillars 5 (ECOMP-P5) advocacy, which promotes reforms across five key areas: education, business and industry, government, infrastructure and the environment, and the broader economy.

Yulo also urged the government to explore the creation of a Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), modeled after a former U.S. advisory body chaired by entrepreneur Elon Musk. Such an office, he said, could help reduce bureaucratic inefficiencies and excessive public spending.

The Department of Economy, Planning, and Development (DEPDev) reported that 33 of the administration’s 64 priority bills have been enacted into law so far. These include the CREATE MORE Act, Tatak Pinoy Act, SIM Card Registration Act, and the Maharlika Investment Fund law. Key pending measures include the National Defense Act, the Budget Modernization Bill, and proposed amendments to agrarian and healthcare laws.

Yulo said a unified legislative approach could help ensure that critical reforms are passed within the remaining years of the Marcos presidency.